Sushil Modi seeks speedy trial in Kolkata gang-rape case

Patna: Senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi Friday condemned the brutal gangrape and the murder of a girl from Bihar in Kolkata and demanded a speedy trial of the case to bring perpetrators to justice.

"The gangrape and death of a 16-year-old girl from Bihar deserves condemnation in strongest words... The least could be done by the West Bengal government is to carry out speedy trial of the case in order to bring the perpetrators to justice," he told reporters.

Being a woman herself, the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should intervene in the matter to ensure expeditious probe and speedy trial of the accused persons in the gangrape case, Modi said.

The former deputy chief minister also regretted that the victim`s family members were being reportedly pressurised by the local people to leave Kolkata for home to divert attention from the shocking incident and urged the West Bengal government to provide adequate security to the family.

Modi demanded that those cops who pressurised the aggrieved family to leave Kolkata should be identified and stringent action be taken against them.

The West Bengal government should deal with the issue with due sensitivity, he said.

Modi said that a fact finding team of the state unit of BJP headed by former minister Renu Devi will leave tonight for Kolkata to find out the facts of the matter as well as to meet the affected family and the top officials of the West Bengal government.
The former deputy chief minister also slammed the Bihar government`s decision for provide a paltry assistance of Rs one lakh to the victim`s family and said that the amount was too little in comparison to lakh of rupees given to the affected people in smaller incidents in Bihar.

The state government should give at least Rs 10 lakh assistance to the family of the gangrape victim, he said.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had yesterday announced Rs one lakh for the victim`s family and and promised to rehabilitate the girl`s family in Bihar if they chose to do so.

Kumar had also directed the Inspector General of Police, Special Branch, G S Gangwar to meet the family, which hails from Bihar, and assist them in any way possible.